Chapter 5: Warmth Within the Cool

The sounds of footsteps echoed throughout the hallway. Claire followed behind the head butler as she looked out the window staring at the falling snow.

"Stewart Claire, I have noticed your work on the pathways are incomplete."

Claire remained silent while the old man glanced behind them for a moment.

"Thinking about the Lady Lave?"

He asked curiously.

"No, The young master seems unsta-"

Claire was cut off by a fist that was sent to left cheek. Her head smashed into the window and dropped to the ground. It seemed the young master Alfred had come back from his knight hood examination.

Though their blurry vision, they had tried to pick themselves up dispite being a bit disoriented. She looked up and stared at his grey hair which was fashioned into a pony tail and golden eyes.

Such was he a successor of the Le'Valro house hold.

A handsome boy he was, with the demeanor of a ruffian. He was just a bit taller tha his brother, but spoke more with the actions rather than his words with a hint of hard headedness.

A strong kick went to her stomach which caused her to fall to the ground once more.

"No servant is allowed on the third floor, expectably you!"

Such elegance was that of the man whom excelled in swordsmanship to the point of….

"Now he has lost his mind"

The young master began to kick the servant repeatedly. Over time, she coughed up blood and her vision grew blurry.

"He was already an outcaste to high society and lost his fiancé as well as father's respect. B-but you still mock and insult him…a servant at that…"

Her gaze that was staring at his shoes looked up to shifted at his face.

Being called a prodigy at the young age of fourteen, just a few months younger than his elder brother. The cold winds of the north perhaps triggered something deep within them.

Young master Alfred grew angry once more and began kicking her again causing her to cough. The noises around her began to sound like an echo as she stared in the distance near the staircase of the first floor, Young master Livuna stood with an elegant smile.

A moment passed in silence as she was being kicked. However, after a short while, the head butler stopped the young master. "That is enough.."

Claire had lost consciousness from her young master who she thought was just naturally gifted.

A week passed when she woke up.

Because of the feeling of rumbling, perhaps she was in a carriage. Normally she would wake up to the area smelling of violets and would feel a substance as soft as fur which glided across her cheek. When her eyes opened, she would be blinded by the color of white. However, drawn in by their golden eyes and glistening lips which the moon light that shun through the window complemented. The light in her young lady's eye, the reflections, would usually cause her to stare longer. It was an allure that she noticed their gender had been born with….

Something she did not have but strangely enjoyed viewing from others.

That aside, this time around her eyes opened to a shaking ceiling and she was wrapped up in some sort of fabric. Her head turned to see a man wearing a black mask. He seemed to now be dressed in a black suit and had a black handkerchief in the upper left pocket. With his arms folded and legs crossed, his head rested against the window. Due to the light that peaked within, she believed the time of day was in the evening.

As she tried to get up, her body wouldn't really allow her to. A lucid dream or she was just that tired. A hand was suddenly placed over her eye and she suddenly felt drowsy before passing out once more.

Upon waking up again, It seemed to be morning…she was in a bed and looked over to see a woman with orange hair with an orange masked equipped, resting with their arms crossed. Her gaze was drawn to the silver mask which rested on the dresser.

Raising up, she noticed that she was still in her dress shirt and pant that was designed with the standards of the Le'Valro Household. It seemed to be ripped, ruffled and dusty. Swaying off the bed, clear made for the mirror and rose up her shirt. Her torso was bandaged and her arms were patched up. Her cheek had a bandage and her forehead was wrapped.

It felt unnecessary given it wasn't normal for her to receive this treatment.

Looking to the right, she stared out the window and their eyes looked at what she saw in surprise. It seemed to be a single red leafed tree that resided on top of a hill filled with orange flowers and red grass. The red grass seemed to delve into very small patches of green to the point of it being unnoticeable from this distance.

"Surprised?"

Claire's gaze fell back on the girl who sat on the chair. The orange masked woman rose and sat back down facing them without really turning the chair to do so. The arms rested in a box onto of the chair's back and their head rested on top.

"We are a long way, from where you were picked up. "

She paused and their head looked to the window. Claire followed their gaze and it quickly grew silent.

It felt as warm as the expression of the orange whom was viewing it.